MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) — A South Beach man is on the road to recovery days after, he said, he was brutally beaten and mugged near his home, before he took to social media to share his story.
Forty-two-year-old David Johnson posted a two-minute video message on Facebook detailing the ordeal. "To everybody in South Beach, just be careful," he said.
Johnson said the incident took place just blocks from his home, at the intersection of 15th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, early Saturday. "I passed two guys and didn’t think anything of it," he said.
Johnson said he was on his skateboard when the subjects approached him, at around 3 a.m. "They both came up behind me and slammed my face into the ground," he said.
The victim said he was thrown to the ground three times. "I just knew that I was in trouble," he said.
The men, Johnson said, beat him with his skateboard, took his wallet and phone, and took off running.
Tuesday afternoon, he showed 7News his injuries. "I have a fracture in my cheekbone and my nose, and a considerable laceration on my forehead," he said.
Johnson’s Facebook post now has more than 30,000 views. "There’s a sense of love in our community, and we want to keep it that way," he said in the video.
He also had a message for his attackers. "All I can say is that these two guys need a little bit of love in their life, so they shouldn’t be doing this to people," he said in the clip.
Johnson hopes the law finds his alleged attackers before they strike again. "We don’t want people walking around fearful, because this is a great place to live," he said.
Both suspects remain at large. If you have any information on their whereabouts, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.